B F Skinner

1 Pages 314 Words

B. F, Skinner’s Operate Conditioning
“In operant conditioning, people and animals learn to do certain things—and not to do others—because of the results of what they do” (Rathus, 135-136). Voluntary responses such as behaviors that people have control over are conditioned. A psychologist named B. F. Skinner devised a weapon called Project Pigeon. Pigeons had guided missiles to targets during the war. As the pigeons pecked at the targets on a screen, they were given food pellets. Once the learned how to acquire those skills, they were put in missiles.
The principles of learning Skinner applied to the project are fine examples of operant conditioning. An animal or person learns to do something because of its effects or consequences that occur. Skinner realized that if the pigeons were rewarded with food, they would continue to do a good job by pecking at the targets. Also, Skinner devised a “Skinner box” in which a rat was placed in there given food randomly. Reinforcement is the process by which a stimulus increases the chances that the preceding behavior will occur again. By pressing the lever repeatedly, the rat was no longer hungry.
With the different experiments that took place, one can see that it does not matter why an organism makes that first response that’s reinforced. It can happen by chance or it can be physically driven in them.
My practical application of Skinner’s work on operant conditioning involves various experiments.
Ø I will make a chart in which the procedure and results will be shown.
Ø I will write a journal of the events that occur and write my thoughts about them. I will talk about how they can be different.
I will create my own project where I will see how my sister acts with the various ways she will be treated and under different circumstances....